"Thank you so much," Niles whispered, leaning over to kiss Daphne's cheek. It was the night of the Snow Ball. Daphne had never looked lovelier than she did right now in her red sequined gown. That polite gesture was followed by a series of several more kisses trailing down her neck. Niles found that he could not stop. He didn't allow himself to think of where this might lead if he didn't regain control.

"Dr. Crane, what on earth are you doing?" Daphne asked, laughing. "The ball's nearly over. No one's even watching us. I really think you can stop the charade now."

Niles looked up at her in surprise. He'd barely even noticed that most of the other people were leaving the ballroom. "Daphne, may I make a confession?"

"I know it was fun, pretending to be madly in love, but everything can go back to normal," Daphne said.

"But I don't want to go back," Niles blurted out.

"Dr. Crane, you're not making any sense. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" She knew he wasn't used to anything as strenuous as doing the tango, not to mention all of the other dances they'd done.

"This has been the most wonderful night of my life. Being here with you has been a dream come true." He reached for her hand, amazed once again at how soft it was. "This is hard for me to say, but here goes. Everything I said to you on the dance floor tonight was true. I didn't mean for it to come out that way, but I got caught up in the moment, and I'm afraid my heart just took over."

"But...that can't be," Daphne said. "You said I was a goddess, and that you adored me. I thought you were just pretending, because of all the people watching."

Niles shook his head. "I wasn't. It was never about what a few worthless gossips think of my life. I couldn't care less about them. It was all about you."

Daphne smiled. "Well, that's very nice, but I don't really fit in at a place like this. Why, I'm just a poor healthcare worker. I spent a whole week's salary on me dress. Most of these women could probably afford ten dresses, without even glancing at the price tags."

"It's true that you come from a different background and social status than some other people. But don't you see? That's exactly why I love you so much. Why would I ever want to be with someone who only cares about money and gossip? You're sweet and kind, and you make me laugh."

Now Daphne nearly felt tears in her eyes. She'd never thought of herself this way before. Living with the Cranes for three years, she always felt a bit out of place. The elder Dr. Crane owned knickknacks worth several times more than she'd ever made in a year. It simply wasn't her world. "I don't know what to say." The way Dr. Crane was looking at her now, she could hardly even make sense of what he was saying.

"I know that this is a lot to take in," Niles said. "I would never try to pressure you into anything or make you feel uncomfortable. But I just couldn't keep my feelings in any longer."

"Well, you're right. This is rather overwhelming. But you've said so many sweet things to me tonight. It's awfully flattering to know that you think so highly of me. But it isn't easy for me. I work for your brother. Why, we're practically family!" She laughed.

Niles sensed there was a 'but' coming. He braced himself for it. There was no way his heart could stand another rejection tonight. "I see," he said, unable to meet her eyes.

"Please don't be hurt," Daphne said. "I do care about you. Quite a lot, actually. But I just don't want to get ahead of meself. I just need some time to think, all right?"

"All right, then. I'll just drop you off at Frasier's." Daphne nodded at him, and they walked out of the ballroom in silence. Niles desperately hoped that he hadn't ruined whatever chance he might've had with Daphne.